Chloe Mitchell murder: Charge of assisting offender withdrawn

Image source, Family hand out

Image caption, The murder investigation began last month after the remains of Chloe Mitchell were found in Ballymena

A man who was accused of helping Chloe Mitchell's alleged killer after she died has had the charge against him "withdrawn without prejudice".

Ms Mitchell went missing in Ballymena, County Antrim, on 3 June and her remains were found eight days later.

Police charged Ryan Johnston Gordon, from Nursery Close in Ballymena, with assisting an offender.

But a hearing at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, heard that the charge has been withdrawn.

It is standard practice for criminal charges pressed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to be reviewed by staff from the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) during the legal process.

The main suspect in the case, 26-year-old Ballymena man Brandon John Rainey, was charged with Ms Mitchell's murder last month and the case against him is proceeding.

Decision 'in due course'

The case against 35-year-old Mr Gordon was not expected to return to court until in August but it was brought forward on Tuesday so that the assisting offenders charge against him could be formally withdrawn.

At the hearing on Tuesday, a prosecution lawyer confirmed that the PPS was "withdrawing the charge without prejudice, to proceed by way of report".

In a separate statement after the hearing, a PPS spokeswoman explained that meant the PPS "will carefully consider all the available evidence and a prosecution decision will issue in due course".

"Colleagues from the Police Service of Northern Ireland have explained this development to Chloe's family and the family will continue to be kept informed as the case progresses," she added.